Tehachapi, CA. Most people don’t know of it. Train buffs know of the place because of a loop. A small town that’s the sweet creamy filling between the cultural and climatic cattle pies known as Lancaster and Bakersfield. Or something like that.
The fact that there was a running and mountain bike race there this past weekend made for a good excuse to go visit my parents, which, I must admit is too infrequent. Life and all that, right? Samantha and I participated in the Move Your Tail Race last year and had fun and the race organizers with the Tehachapi MountainTrails Association do a good job putting this event on. It’s also provides a trip down memory lane as I get to race my bike on paths I rode on as a kid on my BMX.
The course itself isn’t long but it does present several tough climbs due to a combination of slope (+20%), loose soil, and cows (yep, cows!), as you’ll see below:
Google Earth image showing the topography & race course.
Post race with my parents & grandma (Samantha off to the right)
The finish…..
The start, heading out of Brite Lake and the carved posts & trees.
Sunset over the Mojave Desert & the Tehachapi Mountains on Hwy 58 near Edwards AFB.
Setting sun behind the Tehachapi Mountains.
natespin 
Thanks a ton Nate! As hard as it is to pull off we love doing it every year. Next year that gate will be wide open, no more barbed wire crossings, but the cows are pretty much a natural feature of this course.
Races are made better by unexpected surprises! Thanks. In road cycling they call the obstacles “road furniture”. In Tehachapi, they call them cows!
Yeah, sorry about the gate, that was in my section. We couldn’t let you lead the pack the ENTIRE time 🙂
“A small town that’s the sweet creamy filling between the cultural and climatic cattle pies known as Lancaster and Bakersfield”
Classic!
Great job! Have you posted any of your gopro video?
Yes – Thanks for asking! It’s embedded in this post at the top. I edited different sections of the race together and hosted in Vimeo. It’s also available here: https://vimeo.com/50296898#
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